The Castle Team

Before joining Castle, senior team members all held high-level positions with leading professional firms. Our extensive technical, international and practical insights are put to use during each and every transaction as we work to ensure the best outcome for you and your business.

Please click on a team member to find out more about each of us.

Mike NorrieFCA, CF

Founder/Senior Consultant

Mike has been a corporate finance specialist for some 30 years. He is a chartered accountant and holds the ICAEW Corporate Finance qualification. Having built his own accounting practice, Mike led mergers and acquisitions work in national accounting firms before founding Castle in 2007.

Mike is the trusted adviser to a number of private companies and enjoys the negotiation and structuring of acquisition and disposal transactions.

In 2012, Mike was awarded Dealmaker of the Year and Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year at the Insider South East Dealmakers Awards.

Mike’s interests include: rugby (past player and now sponsor and vice president of Tonbridge Juddians RFC); cricket (member of MCC and Band of Brothers CC) and chalk stream fly fishing. An unashamed Francophile, his interests include wine and good restaurants. A governor of Schools at Somerhill and past Chairman of Tonbridge Grammar School, he maintains a keen interest in local education.

Mike NorrieFCA, CF

Founder/Senior Consultant

Stuart StepneyFCCA, CF

Managing Director

Stuart has been advising owner-managed businesses for over 20 years. He is a qualified accountant, a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and holds the ICAEW Corporate Finance qualification. Prior to his appointment as Head of Mergers &amp;amp; Acquisitions at Castle, Stuart was Corporate Finance Associate Director at Grant Thornton.

In 2013, 2014 and 2015, Stuart was named Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year at the Insider South East Dealmakers Awards.

With over 100 transaction completions behind him, covering a wide range of transaction types (acquisitions, disposals, re-financing, MBOs and fund raising) across a broad spectrum of industries (including Food & Beverage, Recruitment and Haulage & Logistics), Stuart is known for his relentless approach to a transaction, tenacity in securing the best terms for his clients and has built a reputation for providing honest and reliable advice.

"I relish what I do and work hard to achieve the best for my clients. Outside of Castle, it’s family first for me and I appreciate the times when we are together, albeit I have yet to work out what taxi rates to charge!"

Stuart StepneyFCCA, CF

Managing Director

Victoria AnsellBSc (Hons)

Consultant

Victoria joined Castle after almost a decade practising law, where she accumulated a wealth of experience advising owner managers on company sales and purchases. Victoria joins the team as a corporate finance adviser, bringing with her a unique perspective that enhances the Castle offering to its clients.

Outside the office, Victoria enjoys skiing, horse riding, golf and generally being as active as possible in the wake of her two young sons.

Victoria AnsellBSc (Hons)

Consultant

Catherine Lambeth BSc (Hons)

Corporate Finance Assistant Manager

Catherine joined Castle in August 2015 as our newest trainee Corporate Financier, after gaining her BSc (Hons) in Economics from the University of Bristol. As a Corporate Finance Executive, Catherine assists in client projects and research.

Outside of work, Catherine enjoys ballet, tap and Latin American dancing, cooking and socialising with friends.

Jane Coome

Office Manager

Stacey White

Corporate Finance Assistant

Stacey joined Castle at the beginning of 2018 after 13 years at Fidelity International, where she accumulated a wealth of experience in investments and the financial services as a whole. Stacey assists in client projects and research.

Outside the office, Stacey enjoys socialising with friends and spending time with her young son.

Corporate Finance Assistant

Graham Cole BA, FCA, FCISI

Consultant

A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Graham was a lead Corporate Finance partner at Coopers & Lybrand and a member of the firm's governing council.

As the firm's Head of European Flotations, Graham was asked by the European Commission to carry out a report on the feasibility of the European Stock Market.

Graham was subsequently a member of the pressure group that lobbied the Stock Exchange to meet the needs of the smaller public company - leading to the formation of the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) by the London Stock Exchange. He was subsequently a co-founder and Member of the Executive Committee of the Quoted Company Alliance - promoting the interests of smaller quoted companies.